Chris Evans has admitted that he was initially "too chicken" to take on the lead role in Captain America.

The 29-year-old told Entertainment Weekly that he had serious reservations about playing the Marvel Comics hero when the studio demanded he sign a nine-movie contract.

He said: "I remember telling a buddy of mine, 'If the movie bombs, I'm f**ked. If the movie hits, I'm f**ked!' I was just scared. I realised my whole decision-making process was fear-based, and you never want to make a decision out of fear. And so one weekend, I just said, 'F**k it. Let's do it.'"

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Evans, who eventually agreed a six-film deal, said that he started to feel comfortable in the part when filming kicked off.

"When I first put on the suit, I was absolutely terrified. But once I started working, I could just see this was going to be a good experience," he explained. "Then I started going, 'Wow. This is really cool.' I can't believe I was almost too chicken to play Captain America."